AN: I'm alive! So...here is a rundown. I've lost some motivation for updating because of my job. It's depressing me and that means it hinders my writing. I don't want to do that to my readers. You guys are important to me and I don't want to give something half-assed because I feel the need to update. Anyway, I hoping this new story will bring me back. I'm not gone, just lost and need to find my way back.

ANYWHO!

Welcome to one of my newest stories! I don't remember how I came up with this, but I hope you'll enjoy and like the idea. This is Pokémon and Journalism. Now, I've only taken one journalism class in college and the teacher was upset that I wasn't a major so I guess that means I did pretty well. Who knows? Anyway, I'm going to try to get this accurate and I'll change it if needed through further research. We all make mistakes. Anyway, read away!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything related to Pokémon and only the non-traditional Pokémon characters.

Chapter 1

'No word yet on how the fire started, but information will be provided once it becomes available.'

Asher Darnell was reading her final report she planning to submit to her boss tomorrow. She smiled proudly at her work. She got the call that night from her boss about a house fire and went out to get the facts. Finally, she had a story that seemed worthy of getting the lead story. Surely a story about a house fire that apparently wasn't on accident would make the front news. She got everything she needed about the Pokémon saving the kid and everything, but what about the mystery behind it. Did this connect to the other reports about the increase in criminal rates? She couldn't wait to see his face when she brought it in complete and edited.

This might be her big break. Mauville City was great and all, but that was all she covered. Mauville City this, that, enough already! The food court was robbed by a kid who wanted to feed some homeless Pokémon. Nothing new. Rydel was having a biking event in town. That happened like every month. The Game Corner was actually swindling people out of their dollars. Who didn't know that? She wanted to get out there to entire Hoenn region and even to the other regions too. Asher wanted to report on regional news. They covered league battles, champion challenges, crime, and all the works. Eventually she could move and work in cities such as Jubilife, Goldenrod, and Lumiose City that operated the globe. It would be a big promotion and her dream job. She stayed up all night making sure this was perfect for the desk.

Poké Press was the bureau where she currently worked which was located inside TV Mauville. Everyone and everything news related in Hoenn went through there. If you wanted to work in the news related business in the region there was where you had to be. It didn't take her long to get down to the network which operated both broadcasting and print news. Upon entering the building everyone moved out of her way. Asher always expected that. No one necessarily liked her. So what if she came off as a workaholic and never smiled at the heart felt stories. Happy endings didn't exist where she came from. Even when it all seems great, life reminds you that it sucks and it has control. A roller coaster with the ups and downs. Ups being the opportunities and downs being when it you fell flat on your face. Some of the ups she learn you had to make for yourself.

She quickly rushed to her desk placing her messenger bag down on her chair before getting out her hard copy of the story to have in front of her if she needed to sell her story to the desk. If it came down to talking her story into the print then she was ready. Her debate teacher in college said she would have a made a great lawyer. Too bad she wanted to uncover out the facts, not present them. She slowly walked to his office and gave a rap of three quick knocks.

"Enter." A voice said.

Asher opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting at desk looking at a folder was her boss, MC. He was reviewing the other stories for the afternoon press release. After her hard work she didn't see why hers wouldn't be one on the list.

"Ah, you're here, good. Did you gets the facts about the fire that was done overnight."

"I did and here is the story."

"Story? I didn't ask for the story. Darnell, I wanted you to go to scene and get the facts to bring back here and present to me." MC said as he glared at her. This was getting ridiculous. She always did this. Just did anything she wanted without asking questions.

"I know, but I figured we could this out on the earlier addition if I wrote it. What happened is important and the people deserve to know." Asher responded.

"Let me see it." MC said putting his hand out for a leap of faith. He could humor the girl and read the story. If it was what he was expecting then he wouldn't be humoring her. As his eyes roamed the papers he sighed. This was what he was expecting. "I'm sorry Asher, but for now I'm killing your story."

"What? Why?" Asher shouted. Her heart dropped from her chest outside her body. She was told that she was cold sometimes, but this was below.

"Hold on. I'm not saying that I'm killing the story in general. It's exactly what the people want to hear. It's that I'm killing your version."

"Do I get an explanation?" Asher asked. This always happened. She would have an amazing story and he would take her work and give it to someone else to writer who got the credit. "I did everything I supposed to."

"You lack compassion. You make it seem like the Pokémon going missing isn't as bad as it is. Yes, the child was saved and going to be fine, but what about the hero. What is being done to look for the Pokémon? If the police can't give an answer then we say it, but you didn't mention the Pokémon once. That's what our readers want to see and our bored is looking for someone that can connect with people on that level within the world we live in."

"A world with Pokémon." Asher deadpanned.

"Yes." MC said before taking in her tone. He eyed her wondering if he should even ask. "Do you hate them? Pokémon?"

Asher was quiet. No, she didn't hate them per say, but one could describe it as hate.

"Then why did you send me out there?" Asher asked as she stared at her boss's eyes.

"Asher, you're good at getting the information. You get the facts right and you're able to connect the dots. Honestly, I wonder if you made the right career choice."

"What?"

"Human interest stories these days, in this line of work, deal with Pokémon. People want to know what these great trainers are up to and what these amazing creatures called Pokémon are doing in the world. No one is interested in hearing about simple novelties like new shops opening." MC explained.

"Neither am I." Asher said.

"Exactly. I was hoping sending you to this scene would enlighten you."

"What are you trying to say?" Asher growled out. She had a feeling about what he was trying to say. Everyone said it.

"You'll never be like Gabby and Ty." He bluntly said. "To get any further you would need to accept Pokémon into your work. Those two are even trainers and you don't even own a Pokémon yourself."

Asher was about to answer when the door was thrown open and one of their contributing editorscame rushing in. She never bothered to learn his name.

"MC, I was coming in for our meeting when a desk assistant told me that they heard on the scanners about suspicious activity near a warehouse. That this is a lead on where the missing Pokémon are!"

MC looked surprised at the news. That was fast. The police had been on this case no longer than they had on reporting on. They needed to get someone out there fast or they could miss out something big before someone else did.

"Let's get someone out there right away and..."

"I'll do it." MC and the editor turned toward the only voice left in the room, Asher. "I'll do it. Send me out there. You said I need compassion in my work and this is most I'm ever going to close to. I'm not going to be able to avoid it."

"I don't know. I can always call Gabby and Ty back from..."

"You said I'll never be like them, but I want the chance to be like who I can be. Please, give me another chance."

He had given her many chances. Did she deserve another one? The girl had great writing and reporting skills, even he couldn't deny that. He would have published the story if their audiences weren't looking for Pokémon related stories. Even if she rewrote and handed back in within the hour with the needed additions he'd publish it. He already had someone type up a story about the same event. Asher just needed to see Pokémon for what they truly were.

"Alright." He sighed. "This is your only chance. You'll have to get out to the warehouse and bring back any important facts given. Tomorrow I want the hard lead and the facts about what you found out. From there I'll decide if I'm allowing you to do the follow story."

"Thank you." Asher said as she bowed to her boss before taking the address from the editor, grabbing her bag, and rushing out the door. She wasn't going to lose her job or be demoted to a desk assistant. That would be the end for her. If she was ever set back she didn't think she'd recover. She might as well quit. Despite her excitement for the opportunity she felt nervous. That fear was still open as she now needed to present feelings toward Pokémon. Shouldn't be that hard and shouldn't be too much trouble.

"Are you sure about this sir?" the editor asked.

"If she sees what I want her to see than yes."

AN: That's chapter 1 everyone! I really hope this helps my funk. This was just an introduction chapter so it was relatively short. The next should be longer and feature Pokémon! Hope you all liked the new story and are excited for what's to come! Please Review, Favorite, and/or Follow in the meantime until the next update! Bye Friends! See you later!

I bet you all noticed the BOLD words throughout the story. Those are actual terms used in journalism that I put in. Each chapter will feature a word or more and the definitions will be included at the bottom of the chapter! I know I used quite a few in this chapter, but that's to get you use to it and I needed these terms. I hope you like this little extra bit and I'm happy to share with you!

Words of the Chapter:

Lead story: The major story displayed at the top of Page One.

Desk: A term used by reporters to refer to the city editor's or copy editor's position, as in, "The desk wants this story by noon."

Bureau: A news-gathering office maintained by a newspaper at other than its central location. Papers may have bureaus in the next county, in the state capital, in Washington, D.C., or in foreign countries.

Sell: Presentation a reporter makes to impress the editor with the importance of his or her story.

Overnight: Story usually written late at night for the afternoon newspapers of the next da

Kill: To delete a section from copy or to discard the entire story

Human-interest story: A piece valued more for its emotional impact or oddity than for its importance.
Contributing editor: Magazine columnist who works under contract and not as an employee of the magazine.

Desk assistant: Entry-level position in television news rooms. Desk assistants handle routine news assignments such as monitoring wire services and listening to police scanners.

Hard lead: A lead that reports a new development or newly discovered fact

Follow: A story supplying further information about an item that has already been published; folo is an alternate spelling.